6 days

I can't believe it's my last Sunday in America for quite a while. What's crazy is that Sunday nights are always so dreadful since they lead to Mondays when we all go to work... from here on out Saturday nights will be my evening to prep for the work week since many countries in the Middle East, including Israel, start their work week on Sunday and work through Thursday. This is based on the religions encompassing the region, but I will have to do a little more research before providing a good explanation as to the background story. The only thing that comes to mind is the Shabbat celebrated through Judaism, which in the book of Genesis is symbolized as the seventh day, after six days of creation. It's observed from sundown on Friday through Saturday evening, which would make sense to start the work week on Sunday.

An email from a future colleague of mine eluded to 11 hour days, 6 days a week (at least to start). Ouch! not looking forward to the schedule. Hopefully things pan out so that we can enjoy our time over there. This past week I've dealt with a nasty cold of sorts, which I assume is a combination of travel/fun/incessant spreading of germs on the subway in NYC. I have made numerous lists, none of which I have started to sort through. The airline has a 50 pound limit per bag - I am allowed to check 2, so deciding which 100 pounds of my possessions are essential has been rather difficult. Let's not forget that each suitcase probably weighs in around 10 pounds, so we're talking 80 pounds of clothes, shoes, pictures, and as many packs of Trident Splash and other random life essentials my side zipper pockets will allow.

I am flying American Airlines/British Airways to get there. Here's the itin:

12/27
Depart Rochester: 4:35 pm Arrive Chicago, O'Hare: 5:30 pm
Depart Chicago: 8:15 PM

12/28
Arrive London, Heathrow: 9:00 am
Depart London: 12:35 pm
Arrive Dubai: 11:20 pm

2 CONNECTIONS! I am a bit overwhelmed by the itinerary since I will have to go through Customs in London and claim my bags, then recheck them to get back into security and wait for my flight to the UAE where I will have to go through Customs AGAIN! Delta has direct flights to the UAE through Atlanta, which I am definitely going to mention to my employer when I get there.

Random things to consider when moving to the UAE.
Will I need an electric converter? Apparently, yes.
What's the postal system like?
Exchange rate
Weather
Dept of State advisories
History/Facts

The list goes on, but this is a start. And for the record, the culture is very liberal relative to other parts of the region. I will NOT have to wear a berka OR a hejab. Perhaps I should not speak too soon though. My curls may look a bit frightening once we hit 110 degree weather with 100% humidity. Perhaps it would be better to keep them tamed down for the summer months...